"That's not writing; that's just typing." –Truman Capote

Remember how you need to find a book to read for term 2 BLA? Remember what I told you about how to find the right kind of book? Remember the criteria for it?

It must be nonfiction

It must be argument-driven

It must be book-length (as in, continuous, not a collection of short works)

BLA does stand for Book Length Argument, after all, so you must find just that. I spent the last ten minutes sniffing around for some books to add to my list. Here’s what I found:

Blink, Outliers, Tipping Point (pretty much anything Gladwell)The Silenced MajorityThe New Jim CrowThe SwervePlutocratsTwilight of the ElitesThe Price of InequalityWhat’s the Matter with White PeopleBetter Off Without ‘EmThe Party is OverHalf the Sky (yes, this is what the documentary is based on, but don’t assume they’re the same)The Digital DivideThe ShallowsDistractedEating AnimalsThe Ethics of What We EatWho Stole the American DreamAmerican Lion: Andrew JacksonThe God Delusion The Purity Myth Culture of Fear BrightsidedNickeled and Dimed The Beauty MythThe Body Project

I have plenty of copies of Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, The Gatekeepers, Outliers. And I have maybe a few copies of Fast Food Nation, Savage Inequalities, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Nickeled and Dimed.

By Tuesday 11/20, you need to know which book you want to read and who else is in your group. I will be back that day and I will ask you. There will be a sign-up. It will be great.

Don’t hastily choose a book just cuz other people are or just cuz it’s one I have. There are a lot of interesting books out there. Look for them. Just remember the criteria and the examples I offered–not every nonfiction book will fit the bill. If there’s a book you’re interested in and it’s not on this list, you should definitely run it by me.